Surgical errors cost $1.5 billion a year
Potentially preventable medical errors that occur during or after surgery may cost employers nearly $1.5 billion a year, according to new estimates by the Department of Health & Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in Rockville, MD.
In a study published in the July 28 issue of the journal Health Services Research, AHRQ researchers William E. Encinosa, PhD, and Fred J. Hellinger, PhD, found that insurers paid an additional $28,218 (52% more) and an additional $19,480 (48% more) for surgery patients who experienced acute respiratory failure or postoperative infections, respectively, compared with patients who did not experience either error.
The authors also found these additional costs for surgery patients who experienced the following medical errors compared with those who did not:
- Nursing care associated with medical errors, including pressure ulcers and hip fractures $12,196 (33% more).
- Metabolic problems associated with medical errors, including kidney failure or uncontrolled blood sugar $11,797 (32% more).
- Blood clots or other vascular or pulmonary problems associated with medical errors $7,838 (25% more).
- Wound opening associated with medical errors $1,426 (6% more).
Many deaths occur post-discharge
The study also found that one of every 10 patients who died within 90 days of surgery did so because of a preventable error and that one-third of the deaths occurred after the initial hospital discharge. The study was based on a nationwide sample of more than 161,000 patients ages 18 to 64 in employer-based health plans who underwent surgery between 2001 and 2002. The authors used AHRQ's Patient Safety Indicators to identify medical errors.
Encinosa and Hellinger also conclude that studies that focus only on medical errors incurred during the initial hospital stay may underestimate the financial impact of patient safety events by up to 30%.
Potentially preventable medical errors that occur during or after surgery may cost employers nearly $1.5 billion a year, according to new estimates by the Department of Health & Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in Rockville, MD.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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